Jan
20
Preventing the Hot Water Shock
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Imagine being in the middle of a perfectly warm shower. The temperature is just right and you are in a relaxing environment to end a stressful day. Suddenly your perfect moment is interrupted by a blast of cold water or extremely scalding hot water. This is what is known as hot water shock and it can be prevented. By knowing just a few tips and tricks, you can prevent the hot water shock from happening to you or anyone else in your home.
1. Buy and install a pressure-balancing shower valve. This valve is designed to keep pressure flowing at the same level – regardless of a change in pressure in other areas of the pipes. In other words, if a toilet is flushed during a shower the water pressure will change. This change will normally cause the hot water shock. With a pressure-balancing shower valve, the pressure is regulated and the shower is not interrupted.
2. Have a plumber perform an evaluation on the pipes in your home. Make sure that there are no areas where water pressure may change dramatically. Have the plumber check for blockages and for possible issues that can be fixed to prevent hot water shock issues later. Read more
Aug
17
When you notice that your kitchen sink is draining slowly or your toilet is overflowing quite often, you obviously know you have a plumbing problem. Yet what you don’t know is exactly how big the problem could be. It could be a simple clog in your kitchen drain or the pipes beneath your toilet. Or it could be much worse.
Determining the exact cause of the problem is essential. The longer you wait, the more damage can be done.
To determine if you have a main line problem, there are a few things you can look for. Read more
Jun
20
As homeowners age, they are rejecting the idea of moving to a stark, sterilized institution. Many aging homeowners are choosing rather to remodel their current home to accommodate their changing health needs. What are the top 5 plumbing tips homeowners can apply to their changing needs?
1. No threshold showers - Showers are a common feature of a more handicap accessible bathroom, but the threshold can still present a tripping hazard. Many age in place remodels are transitioning to the use of “edgeless” showers. When combined with slip resistant flooring, this type of shower can accommodate personal hygiene needs while minimizing the dangers associated with a regular shower. Read more
May
5
Even the littlest chores can turn into huge projects if you ignore them for too long.
That little drip in the shower, the small leak behind the toilet, and even the crack in the outside water line can quickly puddle up, and begin spreading to places you can’t see. Then when you do attempt to fix it, you may get more than you bargained for.
Most mold problems tend to become visible only after significant damage is done. So it’s important to fix drips and leaks early, and watch for signs we may have bigger problems.
1. Excessive humidity – Mold thrives in high levels of humidity. The higher the levels of humidity in your home, the more likely you are to have a problem with mold. There are several things that can cause elevated humidity levels in your home including poorly ventilated bathrooms, poorly ventilated dryers, regular humidifier use, large numbers of plants, etc. If your home falls under one or more of these categories, be careful. Your home could be a welcoming environment for unwelcome mold. Read more
Apr
28
The NSF tells us that most households today have hard water to some degree. But how do you know if your home is in that majority? More importantly, how do you know if your water is hard enough to warrant a water softener?
First, let’s consider a few questions to help you determine if you might have hard water or not:
Can you create a soapy lather? The calcium and magnesium prevalent in hard water tends to suppress the lathery capabilities of soaps and shampoos. If you feel you are using too much soap for too little results you might have a hard water problem. Read more
Apr
15
How to Find Out if You Have a Water Leak
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A leaky faucet is easy enough to diagnose, but do you know how the rest of your water system is doing? You could easily be throwing money away paying for water that is wasted through a leak. Thankfully, there is a relatively simple method to determine if you have a leak and where it might be.
1. First, you should turn off all water using devices. This includes you dishwasher, your sprinkler system, and the ice maker in your fridge. Don’t use toilets or sinks during this time as that will mess up the test. Next, locate the water meter attached to your home. Write down the meter’s current reading and wait at least 30 minutes. Don’t use any water during this time. If the meter reading is different when you check again, you know you have a leak. Read more
Mar
16
Backflow is the term used to describe the reverse flow of water back in the direction it came from. It can happen in any type of plumbing or piping system, including the plumbing in your home. Backflow can cause clean water sources to become contaminated.
Backflows can be caused by a number of reasons, including the loss of water pressure. For example, imagine you are watering your garden with pesticides attached to your hose. A water main breaks and you suddenly lose water pressure. This can create a type of siphoning action and the pesticides in your hose can be sucked back into your clean water supply, leaving you with contaminated water.
Preventing backflow is not difficult. It simply involves installing mechanical devices in the plumbing or piping system that prevents the water from backing up. These devices ensure that your water supply remains clean and healthy for drinking, cooking, bathing, and other uses. There are several different types of backflow prevention devices, including: Read more
Feb
23
Your water heater is probably something you take for granted…until it malfunctions. If you are having problems with your water heater pilot light going out, check these main culprits first.
1. Thermocouple – The most common cause of the pilot light going out is a thick looking copper wire called the thermocouple. It sits on the gas valve and is responsible for turning off the gas if the pilot light goes out. If the piece is faulty it tends to turn the pilot light off instead.
2. Draft – Is your pilot light going out mainly on windy days? Is the lighting area exposed to a draft? If the pilot light isn’t properly shielded from airflow, a draft can put it out.
3. Ventilation - Your water heater should have it’s own vent out through the roof. Any issues with the stack can cause a backdraft of air to flow down and put out the pilot light. If this is the issue, you might want to have a professional come look at it. They can tell you if adding to the stack height would help eliminate your problem.
Read more
Feb
11
7 Emergency Water Damage Tips
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It is a homeowner’s nightmare: water damage. You have to act fast to minimize the damage, but where do you begin?
1. Stop it at the source – The first thing you will want to do is find the source. Turning the water off immediately will prevent the damage from spreading further. If the source is too difficult to pinpoint, you may have to resort to more drastic measures. Turning off the water to the whole house will definitely stop the water if the source is a plumbing issue.
2. Call your insurance provider – You will want to let your insurance company know what has happened. The sooner you bring them in, the sooner your premiums can start working for you.
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Jan
14
Eventually, every homeowner feels the responsibilities of ownership. Whether it’s a leaky faucet or a loose doorknob, every home needs repairs and improvements at some point. As you consider your current list of home improvement projects, how do you prioritize them? Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your home improvements this year.
1. Time of year - Especially for larger projects, weather can play a large role in planning home improvement projects. Warm, dry weather can do much to simplify a large project that requires materials or furniture be left outdoors for long periods of time. With Colorado spring snowfalls, the best choice for anything entailing outdoor work would be summer and early fall. From remodeling a bathroom, to adding an outdoor room complete with grill and firepit, the key factor is to start a project and have enough time to finish it before the snow sets in.
2. Timing - Aside from time of year, you will also want to consider the timing involved in completing your project. Do you have several weeks to do a remodel on your own? Or do you need it completed in a shorter period of time? Don’t start projects that will be delayed because something else comes up. Dedicate the time to get things finished.
3. Skill - Start with projects you would be more familiar with, and therefore more comfortable with. It is also a wise idea to begin with the simpler projects. If a home improvement project can get more complicated than it should be, it probably will. Save yourself some discouragement and a few headaches and start with projects that are well within your comfort range. Leave the rest to the professionals or work into them as your skills progress.
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Blogroll
- Quality 1st Plumbing website - Quality 1st Plumbing website
- Troubleshooter - Tom Martino – The Trouble Shooter
- WaterSense